There is a department head in the Roman Curia, who has a record that is hard to beat.
He is a department head, the Prefect of the Congregation for the Religious, future cardinal. And his record is to have 130 lead bullets in his body for nearly three decades. He revealed it himself in an interview published in the latest edition of international magazine 30Days.
Monsignor João Braz de Aviz, Brazilian archbishop, recently Prefect of the Vatican department in charge of the religious, no one can beat his record. The current pro-prefect of the Vatican Congregation for the Religious is the only bishop who has lived for almost thirty years, taking with him 130 lead pellets scattered throughout his body.
It was 1983, Don João was 36 years old, and had been in the priesthood for 11 years. At that time he was a parish priest in the diocese of Apucarana. That day he was going from his parish to another to help the parish priest there, who was celebrating the 25th anniversary of his priesthood.
«Halfway along a bridge, he sees a parked car. He approaches to see if anyone needs help and realizes that these are not peasants whose vehicle has broken down. In the old VW Beetle, there are two guys pointing their heavy weapons at him, they take away his car keys and force him to follow them across the river, without saying a word. After half an hour, a bank armored car appears from around the curve. It was Friday afternoon, they were waiting for the van with the takings, and Don Joao found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time».
Then things began to precipitate. The robbers immediately shoot at the tires of the armored vehicle. But those in the bank van are armed as well and respond to the fire.
Today the Brazilian bishop recalls: «At a certain point, since the situation was blocked, the two guys pointed their weapons in my face: you go and talk to the cops, or we’ll kill you. What could I do? I had only taken a few steps when immediately the cops shot at me from the armored van».
Don João feels his entire body burn with the shots fired by the sawn-off shotgun. He’s been shot in one eye, he feels the blood flowing down his face. He lays there on the ground. He cannot get up. A helpless stillness that will save his life: «Afterwards they confirmed that if I had moved they would have finished me off».
Meanwhile the two robbers fled. João feels his breath getting heavier, he feels the blood rising up from his lungs into his mouth. «I said to myself: Jesus, why do I have to die at thirty-six, I have so much to do. The answer gushed inside me: "I died at 33. You had already had three years more than me ...».
«At that point I felt at peace. I said my last prayer, I made my offerings, and I apologized, but then I also said: Lord, give me ten years more. I don’t know why I asked for just ten years».
In fact, the future Prefect of the Religious manages to survive. The lead remained in his lungs and intestines, without causing infection. Even the eye was saved, to the astonishment of the doctors.
After that experience, in an interview with 30Days, Monsignor Braz de Aviz also recalls that he entered a period of depression. «I could not even leave the house. I took a year to get over it, slowly, I started by doing small things, such as short walks around the house, as far as I could. Even this sort of paralysis of the will was an important experience for me, to embrace my limit and my weakness».
When the requested ten-year "extension" was about to run out, the appointment as bishop arrived.
«It's as if the Lord wanted to say to me: so far you asked me for life, from now on what I ask of you is to give your life to me…».
Monsignor João Braz de Aviz says this laughing.
«But in the meantime - writes the reporter of 30Days - these memories have dampened his eyes.